What a week! I could probably write a book about it and who knows in the future I might. The injustice of man (or should that be woman) over man is an interesting theme. Other similar themes include; innocent until proved guilty, or, hell has no fury like a woman scorned. There is even the biblical one, let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Goodness, I could write four novels based on those - and maybe I will.

Meanwhile, back to the life that is me trying to write, publish, market and sell books. As some of you know in addition to selling my own work in My Store, I also sell copies of Inspirations Writers Group Anthologies and Soroptimist Anthologies. What people maybe not be aware is that I don't take a cut of any of these publications. The money you pay goes directly to the group concerned.

In the case of Soroptimist Anthologies, I send any funds raised to SI Canterbury for them to utilise in the charity projects. Inspirations writers Group uses the funds to build on their already growing list of achievements with Red and Orange. Yellow will soon be joining them and gracing the shelves of your local libraries and also my Estore. Keep an eye out (not literally) for their up-coming book launch soon.

I'm thinking that I might expand this idea to include other authors with work who would like to sell through my Estore site. However, I will be suggesting a small commission for advertising there, because I have to pay not only for this website, but  also the two others I run without charge and the Estore.

If any local authors out there have published work they would like to be considered or have experience in doing just that, please comment here. 

Also the more I think about it, the more running my own publishing company for a wider group is appealing to me. Idea's on an A4 query letter labelled Submissions.

​

I've finished critiquing the pieces for the Yellow Anthology. I only hope the person who got mine to review finds it interesting.


Gristle's Revenge is moving along too, at last. A local Art student managed to complete 3 illustrations for me and a second illustrator has agreed to do the more fiddly drawings.



I'm hoping the novel will go to formatting in late August all being well. Louise Morse provided me with three drawings for chapter headings.. Here is one of them as a treat for Readers ahead of publication.

A second illustrator is taking on the Characters after my initial illustrator from Witch on the Warpath was unable to continue on to book two. I might be able to offer one here to view in due course, stay tuned.

​I couldn't hold off on writing some more for Aquasapien two - Prodigy. That was the result of going to Karate Summer camp where I ran off 16 pages of writing without even trying too hard. It's still a long way from finished because book one was a goliath of a book at 127,000 words. I'm also keen to publish a couple of my paranormal novels next.

Still chugging along. Currently critiquing stories for Inspirations Writers Group third publication, YELLOW, due out this year, maybe in time for Christmas like mine.

Publication is now dependant on the illustrators and their timescales. The formatter is primed and ready. The printers can turn around the print run in 2 weeks, but I've also got my hands full organising the massively important event that is Thanet Soroptimists Chartering Ceremony. This will be held in The Barn at Quex on 1st September and see the fruition of three years hard work of getting a Soroptimist Club off the ground and with enough members to be recognised by our parent organisation Soroptimist International.  

It's difficult keeping my fingers away from my other novels, I'm attempted to start dabbling, but I'm trying to resist as I know I'll get submerged in the story. I guess that must be a writer's thing being swallowed alive by a story until you don't know reality from fiction. That's my life. I'm sure it drives my husband to despair as every conversation moves naturally to my current novel and where I am in its storyline and completion. I try not to bore him with the repetitive narrative of this, or that point, but.... That's how Inspirations came about, I was sure that I  wasn't the only person who did that, drove their relatives, however well intentioned, away. I watch the switching off, the glazing over of eyes much like when someone has a hobby, or should that be an obsession?

Maybe writing is an obsession. I have to do it. If I'm sitting too long in one place my hand migrates to my bag and my faithful notebook. I am never without pen and paper. On the odd occasion I've written on paper hand towels & serviettes. Sometimes, something catches my eye, or should that be my mind. A bird bouncing back and forth on a telephone cable overhead suddenly takes off terrified... a police helicopter hoves into view flying low over the streets . A car deliberately screeching its tyres... an escape convict's car from a prison maybe? Even an empty tin rolling down the street pushed along by a high wind... thrown away by a husband upset at finding his wife in bed with another man?

I can imagine anything from anything and I'm sure everyone can. Why do some of us write and some of us, with the same imagination, not?

I'm still set to publish Gristle's Revenge after the summer. I was hoping to launch on Halloween, but this year it falls on a weekday so it'll have to be probably in November, as I'm away in Liverpool at the SIGBI conference in October.

The hunt for an illustrator has been quite stressful. Initially no one came forward, despite me advertising on Face book, Margate and Kent Creatives. When a local Art student stepped up, I almost bit her arm off. It's been a learning process for both of us and I really appreciate the work my first illustrator did on WOTW.  Since then two more illustrators have come forward and though I might use them for the more intricate drawings, I really want to give the student a chance to complete some of the chapter heading drawings.

I have several other novels in the pipeline. The follow-up for Aquasapien Metamorphosis, Prodigy is half written, but as Metamorphosis currently hasn't sold many copies (despite getting excellent feedback) it's hardly worth finishing it. I only have one retail outlet for Metamorphosis at Quex Barn and selling one a week isn't going to cut it. I need roughly £2,500 to publish a novel. I could seriously do with some reviews on Amazon or Goodreads. If I had a pound for everyone that had promised to do a review and hasn't bothered, I could write full-time. So completing Prodigy doesn't look like its going to happen any time soon.


Meanwhile, I have a novel 'What if ' an undercover adventure, and another called 'Between Worlds' which involves a journey through the seven levels of hell. Then I have several written others about a quarter length each. In addition, Gristle's Revenge is set for a third novel, but the idea hasn't yet solidified in my brain for that one.